


Re:Mains

by LateNightYaoi



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: I forgot to add that, M/M, Multi, This Is a Zombie AU, Zombies, ah there is also a minor (non existent) character death in this chapter, but it could be quite graphic (i dunno I cant judge my work in that way) so be warned, but yes zombies, hope you enjoy it, lotsa zombies, omfg how could I forget, some characters might be zombies, thats it, the zombies appear rarely theres mostly angst here, this is angst, with zombies, zombies!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-04-30 17:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5173460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LateNightYaoi/pseuds/LateNightYaoi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They're all in different locations when it happens.<br/>It's like the whole world knew, when a dark cloud covered the red sky leaving them in what seemed to be an eternal sunset as they await the storm coming.<br/>A storm that could mean much more than just rain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Catch The Fall

Aoba smiled gently at Ren. 

They were about to close the shop, but they'd decided against it, waiting for Haga-san. The afternoon sun shining not-so-brightly through the widow. Even then, Ren thought it was beautiful.

Then it all stopped.

It's like the whole world knew, when a dark cloud covered the red sky leaving them in what seemed to be an eternal sunset as they await the storm coming. A storm that could mean much more than just rain. 

They're all in different locations when it happens, Aoba and Ren fortunately happened to be at the Junk Shop, Aoba had made a comment on Ren starting to grow facial hair, and they both laughed. Aoba got up to get the mirror resting atop one of the shelves, then it all stopped.  
Or rather, everything began shaking, the lights flickered at unison with the stuff falling, a yelp coming from Aoba just as Ren was getting up to come get him.  
_Silence_ , they were left in complete darkness, and no matter how loud he called from behind the thin mist of dust and granite clouding his vision, Aoba didn't hear him.  
Buried under metal and plastic pieces, and the shattered mirror that knocked him in the head, there lied Aoba, unconscious to the world around him, the police sirens outside the shop, or Ren's screams as he stumbled to find his way in the dark, and his family, Noiz and Clear and Koujaku and Mink. His blurred out thoughts warned him of some danger, it must have been important if Ren was yelling, he needed to reach out for him, tell him it was going to be okay. But both the smell of shattered pieces and the pain in his ankle seemed like just too much. 

Ren cursed himself. He hated how his limbs failed him at the most crucial moments, when he was trying to dig up his husband's body. If he had still been a dog, he'd have foreseen it.  
The light doesn't return until after Ren's felt Aoba's feet, still warm at the touch. He thanks whatever god could hear him, and begins shaking him awake. 

\------------

Clear stayed at home, he'd kissed Koujaku goodbye last, before heading to the kitchen, deciding he could prepare dinner while Noiz came back. 

First he’d turned off the stove, before locking both arms above his head as to not get hit by the things falling. The windows creaked in the way he’d always hated, and the ground opened like a pair of crooked lips forming a wicked smile. He found it useless to scream, yet he did so.  
His hands wiped a warm, wet trace on his cheeks once everything stopped. And, still dizzy, he got up. The house was a _mess_. He could see that even in the dark.

Upon turning to look outside the window, Clear felt his breath and pulse quicken. Just outside, the world had come to a stop, the streetlamps had fallen and crystals in the surrounding houses shattered. And there, far away, just before his sight allowed him no further, a blood red sun stared, unmoving. 

His senses screamed for him to run out of the house in that moment. _If you're lost, stay where you are_ , his grandfather would say. And right now Clear was nothing but lost. He thought of Koujaku, and Noiz, and Mink, Ren and Aoba, while clutching his chest. _please be home soon._ The house had never seemed so big before.

\----------- 

“Mink-san, it’s getting late.”  
Of course it was. He’d been staring outside for a while now, as if something inside of him had ordered him not to look away. _Wait for it, don’t miss this_. 

Mink turned around. “Tell everyone they can all go back to their houses.”

He brought his pipe to his lips, returning his gaze to the open window.

“And you, Mink-san?”

“I’m going with my family after this.” Hudson had only before seen Mink smile so many times for it to still take him by surprise, and this was a genuine, longing smile he found precious, even coming from someone like Mink himself, he thought. His smile only lasted much longer before the ground beneath them began shaking, and it’s like whatever intuition Mink felt inside were scolding him for looking away.  
His first instinct was to pull Hudson away from the window, get back to the others as soon as possible. 

The last thing he saw upon glancing behind him was a fiery red approaching.

\------------ 

Noiz didn’t think as highly of himself as to be trusted, not even now, with helping around the house, which is why he’d told Aoba he’d be busy playing at the arcade. Which wasn’t a lie, he _was_ at the arcade.  
Except he wasn’t playing anything. Something resembling guilt sat at his gut and he thought of going back to help Clear. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked toward the exit, hoping he didn’t seem too suspicious entering and leaving just like that. 

But no one would have the time to even think about suspecting anything. A force pulled him to the ground before he could make out the people running around, not even bothering to look at Noiz. Above him, a lamp he’d never noticed dangled violently, the yellow light flickering until the wire holding it gave in. Noiz had only enough time to roll out of its way on the still shaking floor. Everything went black.  


\-----------

Koujaku stood still for a moment, looking at his reflection on the glass, unaware of the setting sun watching them just past all the buildings.

“Koujaku-san! Are you coming?” A girl called from the chair.

“Yes, I’ll be right—“ He wasn’t allowed to finish, before a sudden yelp coming from the line of women behind the one who’d called for him began dispersing. Koujaku fought to keep his composure, extending out his arm to the nearest girl and pulling her towards the door. 

“Everyone! Get out!” He yelled, helping another girl to her feet and guiding her outside.

The scent of blood reached his nose, it probably hadn’t been from the pieces of glass digging into his skin. He looked up. Not all of them had made it out.

He tried running back, despite the continuous screams from the ones already outside. His heart stopped upon seeing one of them, head crushed under a fallen piece of ceiling. He didn’t have time to mourn when another voice called his attention, choked gasps for air from a woman just a few feet past the first one, only the top half of her body had made it out. Blood sputtered from her mouth as she desperately fought to free herself. 

He ignored the sudden creaking coming from above him, thinking maybe the earthquake wasn’t over. A pair of arms pulled him back when he tried reaching for the trapped girl. If another block of ceiling hadn’t fallen, crushing her head, he probably would have been mad at the other two girls.


	2. From The Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clear is waiting.

Clear was cooking.  
In a desperate attempt to forget he found himself all alone, he’d emptied the fridge completely and, still trying to ease his breathing, he placed everything on the counter, away from the window, where he refused to look.  
He couldn’t count the times he’d cut himself with the knife when trying to cut up vegetables with shaky hands, or peeled that part of his skin by accident. 

He tried calling every one of them. He couldn’t decide what was worse, the never-ending beeping, or the dead silence at the end of the line.  
Koujaku was the first to answer.  
“Koujaku-san?!” Clear couldn’t hide the anguish in his voice, so many times he’d stood waiting for a reply, before the beeping started and he hung up in anger and dialed again.  
He heard trembling gasps before a deep, breathy voice spoke. “Clear? Clear! Are you okay?” Clear’s relief didn’t last long, though, he’d never heard his husband sound so desperate. 

“I’m fine, Koujaku-san where--?”

“Is anyone else with you?”

“No, I haven’t heard anything from the others, I— I don’t know where they are— I…” Clear involuntarily started crying, saying the words aloud only made everything real, and it made everything hurt so much more. He clutched the phone between his hands, as if somehow, if he were to end the call, he’d lose Koujaku, his last hope, as well.

“So it’s like that… Dammit, I…”

“Koujaku-san… where are you?” He managed between sobs and shaky breaths.

“I’m heading to the house right now.” There was a pause. “Stay inside, I’m coming to get you, okay? I’ll just get these two girls to their houses first. Just wait for me.”

Clear tried his best to bite his lips and fight back the urge to tell him to ditch them, and just come home already. He couldn’t stand this. 

“I have to go now.”

No.

“Koujaku-san! Wait…” He thought for a moment, at the end of the line he heard whimpers, a faint _Koujaku-san… let’s go this way…_ they probably were as scared or even more than he was, but they were with Koujaku. And Clear knew --he knew because he’d felt it before-- when he was with Koujaku, nothing could hurt him. Those feelings he understood well. “B-Be careful, okay?”

“I will be. Don’t worry.” 

The call ended before he had the time to change his mind. Clear dropped to his knees, the phone still in his hands. _How could this have happened?_

Not long after he finished bandaging his fingers and took the lasagna out of the oven did the second call come. It took him a moment to realize, not only the ringing of the phone, the fact that he’d managed to forget all about that red sun and fallen houses. When he did, he ran at full speed, finding it hard to breathe once more. Clear brought the phone to his ear, licking his lips. “y-yes—?”

“ _CLEAR!_ ” Koujaku’s agitated voice spoke at the other end.

“Koujaku-san… Are you okay? Are you coming now?”

“Yes, it’s just— I’m gonna take a little longer. Please don’t leave the house, no matter what.”

He was worried, not only that, he was scared. His Koujaku was scared.

“What happened, Koujaku?” Clear’s hands began to shake uncontrollably again, he had to hold the phone with both hands now. Every second Koujaku didn’t reply his desire to throw the phone and run out grew larger and larger. Then he heard him mutter something to someone, before his voice returned to the line.

“I don’t know, I sincerely don’t know, someone’s been following us, I don’t want to guide them to the house so I might take a while longer, stay inside, please.”

He shouldn’t have let him go. Now his husband, the only one he’s heard anything from in hours was, too, in danger. And he was home.

“Please, I need you to stay home…” He heard a frustrated grunt. “I’ll explain everything once I get home. There’s just… something so wrong about this.” 

_Then come home, now_ … He wanted to say.

“…Clear?”

“Yes…”

“Promise me you’ll stay inside until I get there”

The knot inside his throat tightened, that’s not what he wanted Koujaku to say, he wanted an explanation as to why he wasn’t already home with him. “Okay…” 

“I have to go.”

“Okay.”

“…We’ll find the others, okay?”

“Okay.”

Koujaku hung up without another word, but Clear managed to overhear the girl he was with shouting for him from somewhere, before that dreadful beeping rang in his ears. The phone fell from his hands, and he wouldn’t have found the strength to pick it up had it not been from that remaining sense of hope. He sat on the couch, absentmindedly waiting for whatever else the world decided to throw at him. Afraid he might lose hope if he stood up.  
Aoba liked it, he’d told Clear he loved how he never lost hope, and Ren, too, had praised his positivity before, while Mink found it a little strange, he’d said, but relieving, Noiz said he didn’t understand, though he knew he hadn’t meant it in a bad way.

Now, if it was true that all of them were lost…

He heard glass shatter. His head jerked up toward the source of the sound, where he found a bloody hand slowly reaching to grab the doorknob. The image became blurred by his own tears collecting in his eyes, his breath quickened as the door was pushed open, it had become stuck with the earthquake, but still easily opened. The figure coming from the shadows gained a face, one Clear only saw after he decided to open his eyes.

His breathing stopped altogether.

“M-Mink-san…!”

Was this a dream? Or just a cruel joke?

His legs failed him, and that didn’t stop him from stumbling to get up and run towards Mink.

“Mink-san!”

He didn’t have time to smile gently at his husband like he did upon returning from work, for Clear had clung to him and buried his face in his shirt. He noticed, however, he was trembling and sobbing loudly into his clothes. Mink moved them both from the door, shutting it firmly again, Clear refused to let go, saying things along the lines of “you’re okay”, “I was so worried” and “you’re really here”, all muffled by his clothes.

Mink hugged him back as tightly as he could to reassure him that he, indeed, was okay. Clear smelled so much like home, he couldn’t help burying his own nose in Clear’s hair as he held him between his arms.

Everything else was in complete silence. No one else had made it home yet, _Clear must have been so scared._ His coil had broken upon falling after the earthquake, so had his pipe. Images of the still setting sun under a dark cloud continued to run in his mind, after having travelled under it all the way back, and yet less fresh were the images of the people he’d seen, if he could even call them that.

He noticed Clear had stopped shaking in his arms, but still clutched at his sides without letting go. Mink patted him on the head a few times to get his attention.

“Are you okay?”

Clear wiped his tears away, and that’s when Mink noticed all the bandages on his fingers. He nodded, when Mink held his injured hand between his he only responded with “I was… trying to cook something.”

That gentle smile appeared finally on Mink’s lips, understanding perfectly. _He really must have been scared…_  
His thumb massaged the bandages as he continued. “Have you heard anything about the others?”

Clear nodded. “Koujaku-san is on his way, h-he…” Mink gave a gentle squeeze to his hand, for him to continue. “He said somebody was following him and he’d be late…”  
Mink’s heart stopped. Following him?  
A flashing image of one of the creatures wearing a red kimono appeared in his mind. _No._ The thought pressed against his chest like it’d been doing all day, this time, though, it was more painful.

“I have to go get him.” 

This time, Clear held on to his hands. “Mink-san!”

“I won’t be long, I promise.”

“No! Don’t leave me, Mink-san!” He shook his head violently, grasping at his shirt again.

Mink gave another reassuring pat to his head. “Then come with me.”

“I can’t, Mink-san. I promised Koujaku-san I’d…” 

He held Clear’s face in his hands, making him look up finally

“We’re going to meet him on his way here.”

“What if the others— ?” 

Mink thought for a moment, the more they talked, the more he grew worried for Koujaku and the rest, but he knew he’d regret leaving Clear, he'd noticed the force with which he had hugged him, and when he entered, he’d found him crying before he’d looked up to the door.

“I know it’s impossible to know if the others are safe, so I’m not making you look for them with me, we are just going to get Koujaku and come back.” Clear remained quiet. “But I’m not going to lose any more of my family.”

Before Clear could answer, the phone rang, startling them both. Clear was hesitant to go answer, out of fear Mink would disappear into the night, but he did, Mink following close behind him.

“Y-yes?” 

“Clear?” a voice asked in a whisper.

Clear had to cover his mouth. “Noiz-san?”

“Thank god you picked up, I’m at the arcade. Is anyone else with you?”

Clear’s pulse raced faster than ever, “y-yes, Mink-san is here with me.”

“Great! Can you put him on?”

“Wait! Noiz-san, are you okay?”

“I’m not. I’m at the arcade. Actually, who knows where the fuck I am, it’s like a storage room here.” He sighed at the end of the line, _he doesn’t sound injured_ , Clear thought, but rather exasperated. “There are some dudes outside, I…” Clear passed the telephone to Mink. “They were trying to pick up a fight so I punched one of them, but they started to go crazy, there’s too many of ‘em.” Mink gulped. 

“Where are you right now?”

“I hid in the storage room, these fuckers are on the other side of the door right now--”

The line went dead. Mink slammed the phone back in frustration. 

“Mink-san…”

“I’m going to get him.” 

Clear didn’t fight back. Noiz was in danger, that much he knew. And he needed their help.

“I’m going, too.” 

“Great. Red can make it home and we’ll come meet him later, let’s go help the maniac before those things kill him.”

Clear stopped. “Things?”

_Ah_. Mink turned to look at Clear, frozen in his spot. “I don’t know what they are. I saw them on the streets, some are completely deformed and corpse-like, others look a lot fresher. It’s nothing, I bet. But we have to be careful.”

Clear’d seen those creatures Mink mentioned, in the movies Noiz liked watching, though they looked like people, they weren’t, at all. He’d been scared of them for a while before Ren assured him it was impossible for them to exist. It’s impossible for them to be “on the other side of this door”, wasn’t it?

“When you’re ready.” Mink said, stepping out. 

Clear left a note for Koujaku, in case they took too long to return. Many times he tried writing and rewriting his apology for leaving the house, in the end, he decided on a simple:

>   
>  _“Koujaku-san,_  
>  We’re going to rescue Noiz-san from some bullies, we love you,  
>  Mink-san and Clear.  
>  I made lasagna, please help yourself, we’ll be back soon.”  
> 

He ran to the door, Mink noticed he seemed much more relieved than before.  
“Here.” He said, pulling Clear’s scarf above his nose. “Outside is not very breathable at first.”

Upon stepping out, not a single soul walked the streets. Clear found it strange, even this road was busy at sunset, even though that wasn’t really a sunset, and he knew exactly why nobody was outside. 

It was true, this was it. 

Mink held his hand, patiently waiting for him to be ready. When he gave a determined nod at him, they began walking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was actually going to post this on Friday, then suddenly it became Sunday and I hadn't finished the chapter.  
> Also how do scene.


	3. Ray Of Hope

Outside the wind blew cold, too cold for Clear’s liking, and almost too thick to maintain a fast pace without having to stop to breathe. 

_Silence._ The houses around them seemed dead. No lights coming from the inside and, even though it had only been a few hours, the dust had settled on the remains of the fallen structures. A sense of loneliness and desperation drenched over Clear when the only sounds in the streets came from their shoes on gravel.

“Did you walk all the way here, Mink-san?” Clear asked, still focused on his surroundings.

“Yes.”

“Did any of them…” He began, remembering how violent some of Noiz’s movies were. 

“They don’t really approach you unless you call their attention. I was fine for the most part.” Mink hadn’t given him half a glance since they left the house, he must have been really focused on finding Noiz.

Clear struggled to keep up with Mink at the same time he tried to get a glance at his face, was he upset? Nervous? …scared? “For the most part?” 

“Some of them did try to attack me,” He admitted with a sigh, finally looking at him, probably as to make sure Clear wasn’t getting worried about him. He was, of course. Mink noticed Clear’s eyebrows rise and eyes widen in shock. 

“Mink-san…”

“Hey, don’t look so worried. I’m here.” Mink continued, letting his hand rest on Clear’s shoulder. “I’m worried about the others, though. Some go really hard at you unprovoked.”

Clear noticed a huge change of atmosphere upon turning the corner. Not only fallen buildings blocked most of their way and large cracks on the ground prevented them from going further. This time he saw people. If only for a split second before whatever silhouette he was able to make out disappeared around the corner or into a seemingly empty house, but he was sure of it. 

He hesitated, and Mink picked up on that, holding his shoulder reassuringly. Though it probably made it easier to be pulled in case something jumped at them, Clear felt the support was mostly moral, and opted for grabbing Mink’s coat sleeve the rest of the way as well.

“So how do you beat them?” He continued.

“They’re really slow, so they’re not difficult to outrun.” Though he answered, Mink looked much more focused on looking around them every step they took. “So far, though, I think the best way to get rid of them for good is a good blow to the head.” 

“So like in Noiz-san’s movies.” The removal or otherwise destruction of the head always happened to be the solution in all zombie movies he’d watched, and he could agree it made sense in its own way. After all, those creatures usually had spawned from viruses. Had something like that also happened with these ones? 

Mink agreed with a grunt. 

“Do you have anything like that, Mink-san?” 

“Not much.” Mink let go for a moment to reveal his old gun tucked neatly in his pants. Clear’d thought he didn’t carry it around anymore, let alone loaded. And it was all because Mink looked so different now, of course Clear had noticed, not only had his style changed but his expression upon returning to Midorijima. Clear remembers not recognizing him when he first showed up.   
And now the sight of the gun had made the old days all come back pouring in. The adventures they had. Oval Tower. 

In a sense, he felt younger. He couldn’t describe well the feeling, Aoba had explained it to him a few months back, when he had fit right in a pair of old jeans of his. Maybe this was what Mink was feeling as well, his eyes gave him away.

“You should be fine so long as there aren’t too many of them.”

Clear noticed him picking up the pace, the grip on his shoulder tightening. “We’re almost there.”

_Too many of ‘em_ , that’s what Noiz had said, right?

“That’s why I’m a little worried about him.” Clear had stopped noticing the fleeting shadows or shapes appearing every now and then, passing by them as if flying past. He recognized, even if now covered in whatever the air had been left with after the earthquake, the buildings he often passed near the arcade, on his way back home with Noiz. 

They stopped. Or more like, Mink did and pulled Clear by his sides to face him. “Hey, listen, I’m not sure what we’re going to see once we turn that corner, and I’m not sure you’re going to like what you see.” His eyes stared down at him seriously. “I’ll do my best to protect you and get Noiz out as soon as we can.” Clear nodded, although he did not understand nor like the sudden change in Mink’s expression. “I’ll use my last bullets on them but if we need-“

Mink went silent, for a moment Clear thought whatever words were to follow were too difficult for Mink to even say. Next, he noticed he wasn’t thinking, but looking over his shoulder in disbelief. 

Clear turned around. His breathing almost stopped completely.

Although much dirtier than the last time they’d seen him, and looking at them with a furrowed brow unlike usually, there was no denying. The one in front of them was Koujaku. The one whose voice Clear’d last heard desperate now stood in front of them, drenched in sweat and dirt and stains of what was most likely blood and none of that mattered when they started running towards him after a few hesitant steps. None of that mattered when they embraced Koujaku in a tight hug and took in the scent of smoke, salt and the remains of the lotion he wore.

Once again Clear was able to feel pure bliss starting at his stomach and travelling all over his body, into his eyes, filling with tears a second after, when Mink and Koujaku shared a passionate kiss, a hand cupping the other's face and the other holding Clear tightly to them, not letting go.   
Had he finally lost whoever was following him? It didn’t matter, Koujaku was here and-

Wait, _why was_ he here?

“Oi, Red, weren’t you supposed to go home?” As serious as Mink sounded, his grip still held on tight to Koujaku’s ragged kimono.

Although it took him a moment to recover his composure, he held Mink by the collar once they parted. “Noiz called me. He’s in trouble. Something about having locked himself in the arcade.”

“Yeah, we came to get him as well.” Mink looked behind him, failing to notice Koujaku’s half smile. Of course Noiz had called everyone, and he couldn’t be happier. He held onto Mink’s coat as they made their way to their destination.

Mink was right. Clear didn’t like what he saw. At all. 

Dark silhouettes surrounded the building, most slowly creeping around it, or attempting to climb it. Although it had survived the earthquake mostly untouched, the figures standing outside made it far more dangerous than any other building Clear’d seen on their way here. Damn, at least those were empt-  
…  
Clear then thought their way there had been suspiciously quiet. If, by any chance all of them had been gathering here…   
_Noiz-san…_

“Shit.” Mink breathed, exchanging looks with Koujaku.

And he’d seemed to understand perfectly. “I’ve my sword. I can buy you some time while you-” 

“So long as we’re not in danger, we have no need to attack. Get Noiz and get out, okay?”

Koujaku nodded, tightening his grip on his sword. “Any advice?”

“Keep your limbs.”

Clear didn’t know if walking carefully made any difference at all. He didn’t think so, as some of them had already noticed them and continued to bang on the walls or walk as if they were hunting something. It didn’t matter. They made it to the entrance untouched. But not another door to be seen.

Mink turned his head. “Let’s check the back.” 

And that’s when everything had gone down. The first one, a rather brown looking one walking on all fours had launched itself at Koujaku, and he’d just managed to catch its throat with the blade of his sword. 

There was no escape now. The entrance blocked by a tall wall of walking corpses with hanging skin on the verge of putrefaction, all growling low as they approached, the sea of blood-dripping faces seemingly never ending. Mink reached for his gun. 

A loud noise echoed at the back of the room, stopping all of them for a moment, long enough for Clear to notice the concentration of bodies in front of a tall metal door. “Mink-san! Koujaku-san!” He yelled, pointing in the direction of the now staring creatures.

The only one who didn’t seem to notice was Koujaku, whose gaze still continued fixated on the nearest body in front of them. Although Mink had slid his hand around Clear’s waist to pull him towards the door, he knew just how Koujaku was about to blurt out something along the lines of _"just go”_ and _“I’ll buy you some time.”_ So the one he decided on grabbing was no other than him, yelling a frustrated “We need you over here!” before he had time to say the other thing.

The ones blocking the entrance closed in on them just as Koujaku finished making way for them. Mink pointed the gun at their heads, back pressed against the door, still trying to decide which one was worth shooting at first. His free hand tested the handle. Locked. 

Clear yelled, and Mink was too busy blowing the brains of the creature that’d approached his husband to notice the door handle turning slowly, or the hand that yanked Clear and Koujaku inside. He noticed until the same hand did the same to him and he was tempted to be upset when he landed on his ass. The figure they could just make out from the light coming from the still open door kicked at something, they knew from the gushy sounds it made what it had been, before they were left in an almost complete darkness, had it not been from a familiar coil lying on the floor, a light just bright enough for the tiny space they found themselves in, but not nearly to see Noiz’s face.

It took them a moment of looking around to make sure everyone was safe. 

“Christ, I thought you were supposed to be saving me.” An all-too familiar voice spoke in the dark, and Clear was too happy to care about the loud pushes on the door behind Noiz. 

“If you hadn’t started a fight and locked yourself inside we wouldn’t have to have come here.” Koujaku retorted healf-heartedly, but Clear had already thrown himself at Noiz’s arms.

“Shut up, I still saved your asses.” And Koujaku didn’t mean what he’d said, because he too threw his arms around his two husbands, Mink followed.

Soon after, they all felt Clear’s body trembling under them as the constant slams at the door continued.

“I… uh,” Mink picked up on what Noiz was about to say and interrupted.

“We’ll spend here the night, they’ll have gone by tomorrow.” He didn’t know that. Not one thing he’d seen that day could make him believe they’d be gone by morning, but if it helped at all, made Noiz stop worrying about it being his fault, then they would sure as hell stay.

Only a few minutes passed, that could have been hours in Noiz’s ears, when the banging suddenly stopped. By then all of his husbands had settled somewhere on the floor, an arm tucked neatly under their head, and he wondered how they could possibly be okay with this. Being locked up and it was all his fault.

He’d been scared to ask about Aoba and Ren, he hadn’t been able to contact either of them, and since they weren’t closed in with them, he assumed the others hadn’t, either. His heart had ached at the thought, but also he’d been quite relieved. If, by any chance, they were still alive and safe somewhere outside...

He settled next to a trembling Clear, who was settled against a soundly sleeping Koujaku, somehow finding peace in his thoughts.

“Noiz-san…”

“Hm?”

“Have you heard anything from Aoba-san or Ren-san?”

_Ah._ “So you haven’t either?”

His only response was Clear’s body curling closer to him.

“It’s okay, we’ll go look for them tomorrow.”

Because tomorrow’s a new day, right? That’s what Aoba always told him when he came home feeling particularly down after a hard day at work. Today wasn’t a hard day at work, though.

Pulling him closer by the waist, he decided he shouldn’t say anything more, afraid he’ll just make it worse, and slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sighs


	4. I'll See You Again

Loud bangs at the door had lulled them to sleep and woke them back up an hour later, filled with fright yet unable to move, Ren and Aoba sit in silence in the middle of Heibon, Junk Shop Heibon, now their safe heaven. Aoba’s eyelids threatening to glue to each other, but being startled open every time another bang echoed in the room.  
"I don't think we can stay inside much longer, Ren."

Ren knew, very well, Aoba was right. Whatever awaited them out there wouldn't do so much longer, loud growls and shuffling outside the walls surrounding Ren and Aoba confirmed their suspicions. On his knee, his husband's swelling ankle rested a little uncomfortably, though the best it could manage.

"You can't move, Aoba."

Aoba attempted to move his leg without much result aside from a piercing pain shooting up his spine, "I don't think it's broken,” he smiled shyly, trying to hide his discomfort. “I think I can walk on it until we get somewhere safe, like home."

Ren tried to object when yet another noise echoed through the dark, this time distant, as if further away from them than before.

“Aoba, that’s a twenty minute walk from here.” Ren frowned, trying to shift under Aoba’s ankle without hurting him.

Aoba’s eyes suggested he hadn’t listened to Ren, a finger on his lips prompted him to keep quiet. “I think we’re alone.” He said in what could be barely called a whisper.  
And Ren didn’t know if that was a good thing, because now Aoba looked even more determined to leave.  


“I’ll carry you.” Ren decided, catching his husband’s stare with his. Aoba understood, and nodded, immediately pulling himself off of Ren with difficulty. After hooking his arms around his neck, Ren helped him up, stopping after his husband whimpered in his ear.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Aoba promised, completely stiff on Ren’s back.

“It’s going to be difficult to keep it still like this, please bear with it for a little.” Ren apologized, keeping still for a moment to let his husband adjust. A breath of air resembling a chuckle tickled his ear.

“It’s better than walking on it, I guess.” Aoba leaned forward as Ren made his way to the back door through the smashed pieces of metal and plastic under his feet. “More importantly, aren’t I heavy?”

Ren didn’t have the chance to answer, after turning the handle the door gave in and swung open with the push of an unknown force that threw them back and stopped them from staring at the world in front of them for a single moment, sandy red and ash grey under the cover of the setting sun. The air, thick with dust and not getting any thinner the more they breathed it forced Aoba and Ren to hide their faces behind their arms, and no matter how much they tried their eyes wouldn’t look away, as if locked with the cracked building in front of the Junk Shop, leaned to the side. The earthquake had done a lot of damage everywhere, they thought, or they would have.

Embracing heat blew on Aoba’s face, almost burning and he could only imagine how Ren must be feeling when his lungs gave out, all of Ren’s body stiffed beneath him, it was happening again.

“Ren?” In the complete silence of the city he could hear perfectly Ren swallowing, his quick breaths, feel his heartbeat, his chest rising and falling. He tried again, “Ren?”

“I’m sorry, Aoba.” Ren began, clearing his throat, ready to continue walking. “I’m okay.”

“I should walk.” Aoba argued, ready to jump off of Ren’s back.

“That’s not it.” Ren protested, “This body still gives out sometimes.”

“That’s why I’m telling you—“

“I can get us home!” Ren objected, his body tensed but still trembling, much like a few minutes earlier when they were trapped. “I just— I need just a moment” And Aoba had to comply.

“I see. Please don’t force yourself too much.” Said Aoba, burying his face in Ren’s shoulder. “If it becomes too much, I want you to let me walk.”  
Ren didn’t speak after that, other than letting Aoba know he understood with a nod of the head. He became more focused on keeping his legs, now heavy with weariness, moving and not dropping Aoba. It wouldn’t be as difficult for the others, he thought.  
The thought led him to another, how was his family doing? Had they all made it home safely? These things he couldn’t know, since Aoba’s coil had run out of battery only a few hours before.

\--  


“I wonder what those noises we heard back at the junk shop were.” Aoba broke the silence and Ren’s heaves he had tried his best to ignore, not wanting to worry about Ren's body giving out under him.

Ren kept quiet.

“It didn’t sound like the wind.” He couldn’t even feel a breeze right now. “And we haven’t seen any—“ He stopped when Ren hitched a breath.  
Aoba looked up, his stare met with an eerie silhouette just before his sight allowed him no more. A human silhouette, dark, slim and although leaned in front of a wall it seemed to be staring right at them, a shiver ran all across Aoba’s body, freezing him for a moment.

He clutched Ren’s shirt without noticing, and continued to grip tighter as the person straightened their back, slowly and they swore they could hear its bones readjusting, now turning to face them.

"Do you see it, Ren?" He whispered, lips not moving as if he was scared the figure could trace their every move.

"Yes."

His breath quickened with desperation, Ren wouldn't move an inch, frozen in the spot, as if waiting for the silhouette to disappear, to leave the alone.

“Ren… go back.” Aoba's voice cracked as he spoke.

He hesitated. “We can’t, Aoba.”  


“Go back, let’s take another route home.” He insisted, pulling on him and getting him to take a step back. The person flinched every time they moved, it’s like he was waiting for them to run so he could sprint to its arms and legs to chase them.

“If you can’t walk just let me down, we can run back together!” Aoba kicked the air with his good leg, only managing to tighten Ren’s grip on him. The silhouette snapped, standing crooked and determined in front of them, Aoba could have sworn he heard the person growl. As it neared it left the shadow looming over it behind and with it any sign of it being a conscious human. Now it was clear, it was a body, a corpse if they dared, eyes lost and yet fixated on Aoba and Ren, they were sure. Drool and blood had dried at the corners of its mouth, a mixture of the both coming out in drops, slipping from the body's parted lips. Aoba's stomach turned.

Although still not near enough, Aoba could swear the steps he heard resembled those of a horse running, and maybe the other pair of feet was only his heart pounding on his ears and not the bloodied figure that threw itself in front of them, catching the man running to them. Ren almost fell back.

When Aoba worked up the courage to open his eyes he found the back of a certain uniform he knew very, very well. Although now stained in what seemed to be blood and torn almost to shreds there was no doubt. “Ha— Haga-san?” his lips trembled as he let the words out. The growls, too, he recognized. He’d heard them at the Junk Shop, he heard them even deep in sleep for what seemed like five minutes.

His eyes watered, he didn’t understand. Where was everyone, why was Haga-san fighting on the ground with what looked like a corpse and why couldn’t he look away.

“Ren…”

“Yes.” He understood, turning in his heel and picking up the pace, leaving behind both bodies that soon stopped moving.

Aoba clutched Ren tightly, his throat stung when every other noise stopped. "What was that… Ren, what was that?" His voice now broken in sobs and gasps for air. Ren couldn't answer his question.

“We’ll be home soon, Aoba.” Although he nodded into Ren’s shoulder, he did not seem to calm down. Ren too, could hear his own heartbeat drumming in his chest

“What was that, Ren?”

“Haga-san had been following us since we left the Junk Shop.” Ren mentioned, allowing Aoba to process the phrase, he felt him shift behind him, the tears stopping almost immediately, although not with relief but confusion.

“What?”

“Although I wasn’t sure it was Haga-san until I had him in front of us. I couldn’t turn us around.” Ren seemed to hesitate for a moment, “I panicked, I’m sorry.”

Aoba stared at the back of Ren’s head since he couldn’t lock eyes with him. “Ren…” a press of his lips on his hair told him not to worry about it.

The road back home had just become longer and Aoba wondered what would happen if Ren’s legs gave out and neither of them could walk home. Soon he decided it wasn’t a very nice thought and put it away as they neared a familiar neighborhood now coated in the scent of death.

A squeal stopped Ren on his tracks, “Aoba-chan?! Is that you?!” They raised their heads at unison upon hearing a voice they never before had been so happy upon hearing. “It is! And Ren-chan as well! Clara-chan, come, look!”

For a moment, seeing Yoshie-san smiling made it all, the fallen houses, the corpses, Haga-san, seem like a bad dream, like they weren’t standing in the middle of it all, dusty and sweaty under the ever-setting sun.

“Are you all right?” There was a moment before she seemed to realize and gasped in surprise, “Oh my! Aoba-chan, are you hurt?” Neither did notice they were smiling with relief and already making their way toward her doorstep.

“Yes," He replied quicker than he expected, "um, Yoshie-san, do you think we could—“

“Of course! What’re you asking! Come in at once!” She stood aside, an arm stretched out, prompting them inside.

“Thank you, then, pardon the intrusion.” They stepped in, “good to see you, Clara.”

The AllMate stared up at them for a second before lowering her head and also stepping away from the door. Yoshie made a gesture indicating them not to worry about it.  
Different from the heat outside, the house was warm, in a way only a home could be, although this wasn't theirs, they felt the relief as if they'd just found an oasis while in a desert, and maybe it was, their own oasis, this pink and purple shelter.

“Oh my, Aoba-chan, what happened?”

“He got hurt when the earthquake began, we were at the Junk Shop.” Ren explained, placing Aoba down on the couch, his discomfort pretty apparent, it must have been tiring for him, Ren thought.

“I see! Oh, poor Aoba-chan!" Yoshie clapped her hands next to her face, "but you knew good old Yoshie would take you in any day!”

“Ah, that’s—“ That wasn’t the plan, they wanted to say. But they wouldn't, not to their savior.

“Don’t say another word, Aoba-chan, you rest, stay here as long as you please.” With that, she was gone through the kitchen door, Clara following close behind.

Ren almost said something.

“I think she’s still in the process of understanding.” Aoba began first, guessing what Ren was thinking, arms proudly tucked under his head while Ren placed a few pillows under his ankle, more concentrated on not moving it too much. “Give it time.” He said with a reassuring smile, Ren could guess he wanted to lighten the mood now that they were in a safe place, and Ren appreciated that, if there wasn’t the issue with the rest of his family missing, he might have…

“I’m going to call home, Aoba, you rest for a while, we can’t leave until your ankle gets better.”

“Yes, mom~”  
\--  
Unaware, yet with dreams still filled of each other, Clear, Noiz, Koujaku and Mink slept soundly, in each other's arms, awaiting the moment they could go out and find Aoba and Ren and get to safety. Wherever that was, it would be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was about time for a RenAo chapter. It was originally going to be longer, and then I decided I couldn't wait because I neglected this fic for months.


	5. End of the Dim Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Character death yet again this chap

No luck, he couldn’t reach home.   
Ren wondered if they’d all gone out. They must have. If that was true, they must be looking for them by now. He began dialing Mink’s coil number. A long, dead beep announced the first dead line. He swallowed dryly before ending the call, his fingers quickly beginning to shake with the phone between them. A second dead line pushed the knot further into his stomach and he wished for Aoba to wake up and tell him it was okay to dial the next number; that they would pick up this time.

A voice just next to him nearly startled Ren out of his skin.

“Whatever’s burning out there must be pretty big if the light reaches this part of the city so clearly.” The Allmate wasn't looking at him, like she hadn't noticed Ren at all.

“Clara. You scared me.”

She remained in silence, looking out the window. From outside, a thin layer of dust had settled on the glass, but the fiery red light still managed to creep inside of the house.

“But if you look up, far up past the cloud of smoke, you’ll see we’re deep into the night already. According to my clock it should be past midnight by now.”   
That much, Ren couldn’t see through the window, to him it still looked like an eternal sunset lurking in the horizon. Sure enough, an orange light covered the entire city. The fallen structures made shadows appear outside, seemingly flying past, although Ren swore the city was dead, and maybe that’s what he wanted to believe, for Haga-san’s blank stare as he ran past them and threw himself at the person in front of them to be a bad dream.

“Do you know what happened?” Ren asked, pushing his chair closer to the table, she looked up, thinking.

“I received a strange signal, it was mostly static, but I think it was trying to connect with my system” Clara teared her stare away from the ceiling. “Even after the earthquake subsided, the signal didn’t get any clearer.” Her purple eyes stared at Ren, not once blinking. “I couldn’t tell what it was.”  
Maybe he was imagining the small hint of fright in her eyes, maybe it was his own showing through in everything he saw, maybe Allmates had always been this life like, he couldn't know.

“No damage was done to my system, and yet, it's telling me the city’s not dead,” She said, “in fact, it’s infested. All the main roads are.”   
From the corner of his eye a shadow ran past again, he dared not follow with his gaze, and Clara wouldn’t return his stare. His mouth too dry for him to consider asking a follow-up question.

“Do you know where your family is?” Clara asked, noticing Ren wasn’t responding. He looked down at the phone in his hand, shaking his head. “They might be looking for you.”  
Ren’s eyes traced back to the kitchen’s open door, leading to the living room, Aoba slept soundly after having eaten. Though he won’t let Ren know just how worried he is in order to not make him worry more than it is necessary. Even asleep, his brow was furrowed and his shoulders tense. They are looking for them, that much he knew.

“Do you think you can help us find them?” Ren shot Clara a look, trying to tell her that he knew, just like she did, that something was indeed out there, something potentially dangerous that he wasn't even sure he believed in, but he just might have to if he wanted to save his family.

“You’ll have to give me a moment.” Clara replied, leaping off the table before running off.

Ren got up as well, Aoba had woken up to the sounds of footsteps. “Aoba, can you stand now?"

"Did you reach anyone?" Rubbing his eyes, he began sitting up.

"I didn't. But Clara will help us find them."

Aoba kept quiet, looking at Ren, worry in his eyes more evident than he had let through before.  
"I think I can stand." He said, pushing himself up, all weight shifted to his good leg.

"If it is too much I can still carry you." He suggested, hands ready to hold Aoba, if he were to fall.

"That might just slow us down even more, I won't be a burden." 

"Are you sure?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep, plus the warm water did wonders for the swelling."

"Okay, but lean on my shoulder now and then, if you become tired." He complied, knowing he wouldn't be able to convince Aoba any further

"I can do that."

Exasperated taps ran towards them, and both turned to Clara.

“I can’t find Yoshie.”

They let the words sink in, turning to each other for answers."  
"D-did she go out?" Aoba asked. 

"Why would she?"

"Did you hear something, Aoba?"

"I did not."

A cry at the door caught their attention, followed by frantic knocking. "Clara-chan! Ren-chan!" Yoshie's voice came out in a muffled cough at the other side of the door.

"It's Yoshie! That's her!" Clara hurried to the closed door, her front paws scratching at it desperately. "She's injured! Please, Ren!"

He'd never heard Clara so worried, it made him forget about Haga-san and the other bloodied figure, if Clara was sure it was Yoshie at the other side, he would believe her.

This couldn't be Yoshie, Ren's initial thought was. Her clothes stained crimson red where her hands held on to her side, where a large slash began and ripped all the way across her stomach; a red bruise just beginning to darken at her face. She stumbled inside, Ren helped her stand, noticing her broken heel. Aoba had ran to her side, doing the same.

A cough sent splashes of red flying to the floor, before a raspy voice indicated them to close the door behind them. Clara stared at them without moving while Ren did as he was asked.

Blood dripped in between her fingers, spilling on the floor or caught by Aoba's clothes as they walked, a red, wet trace being left behind.

"Come on, Yoshie-san, hold on to us." Aoba said, tapping on her arm. Yoshie shook her head, trying to supress another cough. 

"The door! The door..." Instead she insisted.

"It's closed. Ren closed it. Come on." Aoba spoke reassuringly to her. 

A slam at the door made the house shake, Yoshie shuddered, looking over her shoulder.

"I-is... is someone following you?" Aoba asked. She didn't need to answer.

"Come with me." Clara demanded, seemingly having recovered from her initial schock. "There's the back door."

They followed behind her into the washing room, the slams and kicks at the door resonating in their ears as whoever was out there came closer and closer to forcing it open.  
The shatter of glass almost drowned out as they closed the door to the room and secured the entrance. Yoshie stumbled to her knees, panting. Clutching her side with force, rolling onto her back.  
They breathed, relieved, staring at each other, trying to make sense, in the other's stare, of what had happened.

"Let me see." Aoba began, falling to his knees next to Yoshie, she shook her head in response again, in-between her coughing and erratic breathing. 

Yoshie stopped moving with a single shudder, her grip on her gut losening. Ren hesitated, looking at Aoba as if asking for permission, he removed her wet hand, revealing a ripped open abdomen, her insides poking out.

Ren fell back, letting go of her limp wrist, his entire body trembling in shock. They failed to register Clara's scream of her owner's name, everything had gone quiet, as if all sound had left along with Yoshie's last breath.

It all began again.   
Enraged pounds at the door, Aoba holding his head in his hands, Clara sniffing Yoshie's corpse, her front paws resting on her.

"We can't stay here. Aoba, Clara, let's go." Said Ren, taking a few steps back from the door as he stood up, Aoba followed.  
"Clara..."

“I can’t leave Yoshie. I’m her Allmate.”

Aoba glanced at Ren, trying to convey a _let's go_ with his eyes. Ren fought the urge to say something, afraid of letting the possibility of something having happened to his family to become true, in his mind.

 

"I'm her Allmate." She repeated.

This time Aoba pulled Ren's sleeve lightly, it was time to get out.

The second time they breathed the air outside wasn't as bad, though the air itched in their watering eyes and it chilled them to the bone. They refused to look back, walking aimlessly without Clara's help, neither of them dared to talk for a while, having silently decided to head over to Granny's house. Not a soul in sight, though Clara's words, Ren never forgot.

"There's still something bothering me, Ren." Aoba spoke for the first time, his voice echoing everywhere despite having spoken in almost a whisper.

"What is it?"

"You know how allmates shut down when their owners die?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my computer died....  
> And I haven't had time to go have it fixed so this chapter has taken way longer than originally planned. I'm sorry. But today I killed my butt just to write this chapter and upload it so here, please have it <3

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry about this. Only a little though.


End file.
